Things I learned...

This will be my weekly summary of things learned in a week. Mostly how to deal with clients and everything under the sun.

1. Before doing product presentation, always find ways to know the character of your client or audience. No matter how much you know your product, it will always end up to how much you know your client that gives the result.

2. Always plan your presentation. But before you can start planning it, you should know your client's specific needs. People buy because their needs are met, not because they need it.

3. Remember that it is you who knows your product better, not the client. Which means, don't ever let your client tell you things about your product. Thats your job.

4. In doing presentation, your purpose is to educate. Which means, your audience should learn from you, or else, your presentation is useless.

more things next week...

Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Microsoft Business Solution - Navision)

I think it would be appropriate to have this in my blog so as to give an insight of what my job right now entails.

Navision Software is widely considered to be one of the top five accounting systems or ERP solutions in the world today for the mid-range and high-end markets. Some industry experts, including myself, rank Navision as the top accounting system overall.

In 2002 Microsoft acquired Navision for $1.4 billion – the largest acquisition ever made by Microsoft. (This was a very high acquisition price considering that ACCPAC International was acquired the following year by Best Software for just $120 million; even though ACCPAC had more products and far more customers (41,000 to 1.2 million) than did Navision.) Today Navision has been the fastest growing accounting system solution offered by Microsoft. Consider that in 2001, Navision’s growth rate was an astounding 32%, even though the rest of the accounting software industry had been slumping and recoiling from the impact of the Y2K bug. Since then, the Navision software product line has grown steadily and today has approximately 35,000 customers worldwide, and more than 400,000 individual users. The Navision product’s strength and future outlook has never looked stronger.

For other services and solutions that we offer, you can visit our company's site at www.ngkhai.com.

My Baby (finally!)

May 30, 7:23 AM- the moment I have been waiting for. Finally, my baby is out! I named him Arsene Allen. Arsene for Arsene Lupin and Allen for Allen Iverson. Basically, Angot is a French name so I think naming him after Arsene Lupin - a French version of Robin Hood - would be alright.

It was here in Cebu, specifically in my first job, that I got the nickname "Lupin". In my hometown, I was "Botsoy". My classmates in highschool call me "Bao". Since baby was born here in Cebu, it would be appropriate to name him after my nick here in Cebu as well.

He was 7.48 lbs when he got out. Unfortunately, we have to leave him in the hospital because of a blood incompatibility. He is producing type B blood while using my wife's type O blood while still in the womb. I hate to have him left behind, so I decided to visit him everyday until he comes out.

This will be the beginning of yet another journey in life, and I think is the most important one. This will be my life-long mission and I will do everything to get it done. Like every mission that I had before, there will be no mistake, no retreat and no option for failure!

My first public speaking

May 22, 2007, for everyone else, this was just an ordinary day. But for me, this day marks the start of 70% of what I will be doing for the rest of my career - public speaking or presentation.

Cebu International Convention Center - this was where the 12th Aseas Summit was held and the singlemost talked about landmark to date. Talked about because of it's alleged overpriced substandard construction. So far, the Governor did a good job of explaining to the taxpayers that the price was not over its budget but was actually, below!

Anyway, so much for the issues and back to my own issues, I think maybe I did good...or maybe I didn't. But what's important was that I learned so much from that experience to make me a better presentor next time around.

And that's what it is all about, how you learn from your experiences and use it to make you a better person.

My first hit!

Well, I guess I'm on it now. I got my first official closed deal last May 9 with the Hilton Hotel. It was a relief, afterall, I never thought I can make it. Thanks to my boss and Cheryl (Account Manager) for the much needed help.

Challenges

I talked with my boss this day regarding concerns on my job. I told him that I am not comfortable with the fact that my work entails me to do "selling". He called my attention because I sent an application to another company which I know that he also manages. Although I also wanted to work with that company for some reasons; such as I know some of the people running the company, the work involve doesn't have the "selling" part, and some other reasons.

He told me that the "quota" part should not supposed to be an end of my endeavors in selling or an achievement. It should act as my "quantifiable measure" of where I am right now. And I think he has a point. No matter how good am I on certain things, there is no way that I will know that - if I don't have some sort of a "quantifiable measure" that I could claim to have reached.

It's like driving on a road safely and fast without even knowing where you are going or when you are supposed to stop.

Or maybe, I have something else as my "quantifiable measure". And it's like, in driving, safety is my measure. It's good to have a destination in mind at the end of your trip, but let's keep in mind that we will never know if we will ever get there. At least I know that I will - in my best capacity - take my passengers to their own destinations - safe.

Happiness

Good paying job, beautiful wife, close family ties, etc., I have it all. In life, everyday we do our best to make ourselves happy. We always find ways to be contented and never to say that we regret the past moment. But no matter what we do, there is always something more that we will want. Now we're happy, the next moment, we're not.

I feel so much guilty towards my wife that it seems, being with her, never made me 100% happy. Yes, we are a family now. But I will always miss the family that I had back in my hometown. Things will never be complete unless my family will also be complete around me. And that means, with my new family and the old family.

I think that's what life is all about, FAMILY. With them, you will never say, you're not happy.